Parkwood Leisure apprenticeship success story: Joel

How do you find your apprenticeship? Valuable and educating. It has allowed me to not only qualify as a fitness instructor and spin class instructor, but gain experience in the workplace whilst doing so. I help provide inductions and gym programmes to members, as well as assisting people with exercises and their whole gym experience in general. Continuing on the scheme, I am hoping to be a qualified personal trainer within the next year.

Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship? I chose this path to gain my qualifications as a fitness instructor and personal trainer whilst working in the gym environment that I love. I knew choosing an apprenticeship would be far more beneficial to me than completing a course within a matter of weeks, with no actual experience in the industry.

Why would you recommend doing an apprenticeship? I would recommend doing an apprenticeship because it enables you to qualify in an amount of time that allows you to absorb the knowledge you need for your job, research and understand it, and then put it into practice. I have been able to learn from my colleagues and myself as I have progressed within my role and build a solid understanding of people's needs and wants when they come into the gym. Being able to do all of this, whilst being paid and gaining my qualifications, has been great.